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- W. E. WOODBRIDGE.

Construction of Ordnance.

Patented Jan. 1, 1867 lnventqr:

Witnesses:

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W. n. woonnninen, 0F LITTLE FALLS, NEW YORK.

Letters Patent No. 60,979, dated January 1, 1867.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, E. WOODBRTDGE, of the village of Little Falls,county of Herkimcr, and State oi New York, have invented a new andusefullinprovement in the Construction of Cannon and I do hereby declarethat the'follojving is a fulla-nd exact descriptionof the same,reference bei-n'ghad to the accompanying drawings.

The nature of my invention consists in the disposition of helices ofwire constitutin g in general the principal part ,of the mass of thecannon, and their union by a more fusible metal employed as a solder,and also used, when desired, as thematerial forming the walls of thebore.

The helices herein referred to may most conveniently be formed bywinding the wire in successive layers on a cylindric mandrel or former,which should be enough larger than the intended bore of the gun to admitof finishing the bore,including the grooves, if it is intended for arifle, entirely within the inner helix of wire, and without coming incontact with it, as it is better that the surface of the bore should beof uniform metal. The mass of wire thus wound must, of course, beproportionate to the size of the intended gun. In order to meet thecombined strains to which a cannon is subjected, tending to rupture itboth longitudinally and transversely, it is desirable that the wireshould be wound in spirals of considerable obliquity, (which may bedictated by winding 3. number of wires placed side by side at the'sametime,) and that the obliquity should be reversed in thealternate layers,the wires of each layer crossing those of the layer immediately under orover it. It will be perceived that in this way the tendency to unwindunder the action of internal pressure in any particular layer will becounteracted by that contiguous to it. The proper degree of obliquitymay be attained by winding such a number of wires at once as shall forma band about equal in width to the diameter of the bore. This rule isbased upon the supposition that a metal equal in tenacity to bronze, ornearly so, is used as a roller; but when aless tenacious metal isemployed, the obliquity may be advantageously increased; in no case,however, needit exceed that produced by winding a band of wires once anda half in width the diameter of the bore. The arrangement ofthe wireabove described and its position in relation to the finished gun areillustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 gives an external view of a glin composed bf five helicallayers of wires, (3. smaller number will often beused in practice, butconvenient for illustration,) and shows the course of the wires,indicated by the dotted lines a a, in four layers, whose surfaces areexposed in parts of the gun diil'ering in diameter. The forward part ofthe gun, composed of two layers, presents but one at the surface, thoughboth are shown in section in figs. 2 and 3.

Figure 2 presents a section of the gun on the axis of its figure.

Figure 3, across-section on A B of fig. 2.

The dotted lines I) b show the lines of contact between thediflerentdayers. C is theubore of the gun, and c c the metal forming itswalls within the innermost helix. In general the mass ofwound wire iswithdrawn from the mandrel or former before soldering, unless the latterbe made of the metal to be used as a solder, in which case it may beunnecessary, as it will be melted in the process. The mandrel may, inother cases, be made of a material of which it is desired to form thewalls of'the bore, when it is evident it should-be allowed to remain andbecome united to the wire. I also propose to use in place of wire, insome cases, especially-when cast iron is to be used as a. solder, rodsof metal, iron or steel, drawn out by rolling or hammering. The solder:ing of the iron may be effected by anyknown process, and with any metalor alloy suited to the purpose, the particular process and .thesubsequent finishing of the gun forming no part of my. present claim.The use of cast iron as a solder is'recommcnd'ed by its cheapness,.'andit should be employed with wire of very large size, or with rods largerthan are drawn into wire. This is rendered desirable by the action ofcast iron on iron containing less carbon, to which it imparts, at thehigh temperature requisite for its employment as a solder, a portion ofits own, changing to some extent the properties of both metals. The sameaction renders it desirable that the spaces for thepassage of the meltedmetal into the interior of the mass to be soldered should be larger thanwhen bronze is employed, and round wire is therefore more suitable thansquare, which leaves when wound much smaller spaces between its turns.It is recommended that when cast iron is used as a solder, the walls ofthe bore and the closure of that cavity at the breech of the gun shouldbe constituted of the same metal, supplied for that purpose, within theinner helix of wire, during the process of soldering, as represented infigs 2 and 3 at c c. This remark may also apply to the use of any'metalas a solder which possesses the requisite qualities for forming the boreof a gun. When the mandrel 'upon which the wire is wound is retained toconstitute the walls of the bore, a portion of the same may be allowedto remain in'the formation of the breech, or the bore may be closed inanj other way that may be preferred. In order to carry my invention intoeffect it is necessary that the fused metal employed as a solder shouldunite with the wires or rods, and not merely surround them withoutadhering thereto. The materials which I esteem the best for theconstruction of guns, irrespective of cost, are steel wire of aqualityusually called low steel, drawn square, or nearly so, with a hard bronzeas a solder; hutI also propose, in some cases, to use wire wound underconstant tension, and united with a solder of low fusihility, so thatthe'elastic tension of the wire may not be disturbed in the process. Ialso propose to apply the mode of construction herein described to tubesother than cannon when the mechanical requirements are similar.

What I claim as my invention, anddesire to secure by'Letters Patent,is-- 1. The employment in the structure of cannon of helices of wire oireversed obliquity, applied one over another, and brought into union bythe intervention of a more fusible metal employed as a solder.

2. I claim, in general terms, the construction of cannon, substantiallyas herein described, modifying the selection and use of materials asherein set forth.

3. I also claim the application of the mode of construction hereindescribed to tubes other than cannon, when the mechanical requirementsare similar. j

' WQE. WOODBRIDGE. Witnesses:

EDM. F. Brown,

Jso. Jonson.

